Zhajiangmian

Zhajiangmian

　　Zhajiangmian is a distinctive dish from Beijing, also known as zajiangmian, made with vegetable garnishes, meat sauce, and noodles. Ingredients such as cucumber, Chinese toon, bean sprouts, green peas, and yellow soybeans are chopped or boiled to make the garnishes. The meat sauce is then prepared by stir-frying diced meat along with scallions, ginger, and other aromatics in oil, followed by adding yellow soybean paste or sweet bean paste made from soybeans and stir-frying until it becomes the zhajiang (meat sauce). Once the noodles are cooked, they are drained, topped with the meat sauce, and mixed with the vegetable garnishes to make zhajiangmian. There is also a version where the noodles are drained and rinsed with cold water before adding the meat sauce and garnishes, known as "guoshui mian" or "liangmian" (cold noodles).

　　　Zhajiangmian is very popular in Beijing, while Shanghai, Guangdong, and the Northeast also have their own variations of the dish. Korea also has its own version of zhajiangmian, which was introduced by Chinese immigrants.

　　  Traditional Beijing Zhajiangmian

　　In Korea, the dish uses chunjang (black bean paste) as the seasoning, along with ingredients like onions, shrimp, and meat. Currently, zhajiangmian is also served in high-end restaurants in Japan, though it is presented quite exquisitely — with shredded green cucumbers arranged around the edge of the plate, noodles placed in the center, a yellow scrambled egg in the middle of the plate, and a dollop of purple zhajiang right at the center, making it look like a piece of artwork. Zhajiangmian is a distinctive dish from Beijing, made with vegetable garnishes, meat sauce, and noodles. Ingredients such as cucumber, Chinese toon, bean sprouts, green peas, and yellow soybeans are chopped or boiled to make the garnishes. The meat sauce is then prepared by stir-frying diced meat along with scallions, ginger, and other aromatics in oil, followed by adding yellow soybean paste or sweet bean paste made from soybeans and stir-frying until it becomes the zhajiang. Once the noodles are cooked, they are drained, topped with the meat sauce, and mixed with the vegetable garnishes to make zhajiangmian. There is also a version where the noodles are drained and rinsed with cold water before adding the meat sauce and garnishes, known as "guoshui mian."

　　The popularity of zhajiangmian in Beijing can be glimpsed through an old Beijing rhyme about the dish.　

　　In old Beijing, the most common type was pork dice zhajiang. It is made by stir-frying half-fat, half-lean pork cubes with scallions, ginger, and garlic in oil, then adding yellow thin soybean paste and simmering over low heat with the lid on for 10 minutes. When the pork cubes are thoroughly infused with the yellow sauce, the skin turns glossy red and the aroma is rich. More refined versions include tenderloin dice zhajiang, three-delicacy (shrimp, tenderloin, and bamboo shoots) zhajiang, as well as vegetarian options like egg (muxi) zhajiang, fried tofu cube zhajiang, and sautéed eggplant cube zhajiang, all savory yet not greasy. In old Beijing, people preferred to eat zhajiangmian hot in winter, referred to as "guo’er tiao" (straight out of the pot, not rinsed with water), while in summer, they had it as guoshui mian, but the soup had to be completely drained. Seasonal fresh vegetables were added according to the season.

　　Side dishes were called "quanmianma’er" (complete garnish set). Early spring calls for blanched bean sprouts (with the tips and tails removed, called "qia cai") and the leaf tips of small radishes, served with leftover Laba vinegar from the New Year. In deeper spring, fragrant Sichuan pepper buds are added to the sauce, called "huajiao jiang," and the vegetable garnishes include garlic sprouts, Chinese toon tips, blanched bean sprouts, green pea shoots, radish leaf tips, and shredded radishes. Early summer features fresh garlic, blanched peas, cucumber slices, flat beans, and leek pieces as garnishes. Additionally, Shanghai, Guangdong, and the Northeast all have their own regional styles of zhajiangmian. Korea also has its own version of zhajiangmian, introduced by Chinese immigrants, using chunjang (black bean paste) as the seasoning, along with ingredients like onions, shrimp, and meat. Zhajiangmian is currently served in high-end Japanese restaurants as well, though it is artfully presented — with shredded green cucumbers arranged around the edge of the plate, noodles placed in the center, a yellow scrambled egg in the middle, and a dollop of purple zhajiang at the center, resembling a piece of fine craftsmanship.